Location: Bainbridge Cinemas (and a special thank you for their generosity with their theater and assistance to our filmmakers!)

Run Time 1hour 45 minutes

Synopsis

A geologist finds clues to big events on a small island. Evidence in the rocks reveals underwater landslides, volcanism, faults and earthquakes that continue to shape the landscape.

Part One: The Oldest Rocks Form the Base

The story begins on Bainbridge Island, a small island west of Seattle. Geologist Gregory Geehan leads us into the deep past to find the oldest rocks on the island. They began as sediment, under the sea. Once buried thousands of feet, we now find them raised to the surface, bent, tilted, deformed. They provide evidence of uplift on the Seattle Fault.

Part Two: Earthquakes and Faults Deform the Base

Next, we look for clues in the surrounding region for the cause of such upheaval. Tremendous seismic activity comes to light on the nearby Pacific Coast. The seafloor has been pushed up into the Olympic Mountains. Areas of salt-killed trees ranging from Canada to California reveal a magnitude 9 subduction zone earthquake 300 years ago. Tectonic movement on the San Andreas Fault in California adds a further twist to the forces that have tilted thousands of feet of rock in the Seattle area… and have given Bainbridge Island an irregular shape.

NEW Part Three: Glaciers Advance into the Puget Lowland and Transform the Landscape NEW

We learn to decipher the layers exposed in the shoreline bluffs. They reveal that glaciers have come and gone repeatedly, leaving material from northern mountains, carving channels and changing the landscape with each advance and retreat. Between glacial periods, rivers from the heights washed material into the lowland, adding to the accumulation of sediment. These alternating layers influence landslides and control the distribution of our aquifers.

The Creative Team

Cameron Snow

Producer and Director

Her experience as a video documentary producer began in 2000 when she became a member of Bainbridge Island Broadcasting (Community Access) where she completed certification on broadcast equipment and became an independent program producer. Subsequently she has produced documentaries focused on local natural history and the arts. In 2006 Bainbridge Island Television named one of her series “Best New Original Program”. In 2016 she was named an Island Treasure.

Prior to settling in Puget Sound Region Cameron worked as a designer and landscape painter. She holds a master’s degree in fine art and a bachelor’s degree in biological science.

Gregory Geehan

Co-Director and Narrator

His career in applied geological research in the oil industry took him to London, Kuwait, Colombia, Texas, and Alaska. Since retiring to Bainbridge Island, he has reconnected with the geology of the region and has become a popular speaker on the subject. He holds a degree from the UW and a PhD from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Cathy Bellefeuille (Bell-Fay)

Lead Camera

She became lead camera for this video project almost from the first day. In May of 2010, Cameron, Greg and Cathy began their explorations of shoreline embankments, looking for the evidence that would tell the story of the geological formation of Bainbridge Island. Cathy, who grew up on the island, was the quickest to spot fossils and to capture on film birds, eagles, heron, seagulls, cormorants that occur in every scene. She studied filmmaking at UW and was a contributor to BITV news.

Preparing for an earthquake…

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